Rose Lost
by The Duckster
Summary: Rose, to prove her own maturity to her parents, decides to mimic them and camp out in the woods. She gets caught in a terrible storm. This is a back story needed in 'THE LOOK OUT'


Title: Rose Lost

Fandom: Harry Potter

Characters: Rose/Hermione/Ron

Prompt: 70 - Strom

Word Count: 2611

Rating:K

Summary:Rose as a young girl gets lost in the woods, a storm hits.

Author's Notes: Alright, so beat me with a spoon this isn't technically a missing moment to add to my thing but I have this whole Scorpius/Rose fic thing going on and I wanted to reference this in chapter 3 of 'the look out' but felt like I had to write the story out instead of summarizing it since it was such on odd and random tangent for Scorpius to be telling. Yes this is what is taking me so long to update 'the look out' I have so much back story in my head that I want to reference but can't with out writing it out. So there you go, it's coming though I swear!!!

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They were treating her like a baby and she wasn't going to put up with it anymore. She wasn't a baby, she was obviously capable of taking care of herself and she was going to prove it. Rose shoved the left over chicken she'd nicked from the kitchen into her pink and orange _'Hello Kneazel'_ nap sack hastily before zipping it up.

She would prove to her parents that she, Rosalind Nymphadora Weasley was perfectly capable of being on her own. She wasn't fawned over as a brilliant and gifted girl for no reason and her parents not understanding how unfair they were being was just something she had to change.

If Albus got one, well he was nice but if her considerably less responsible cousin could have his own broom then so could she. They were always being told they were the same age, so why should she have to wait two more months before her eighth birthday for her first real broom. Not those dinky toy brooms meant for tiny baby's that don't even lift more than two feet off the ground, a real broom so she could finally join in with all of her cousins when they played.

She always took care of her cat Norbert, making sure he was fed and clean. Many times she'd even been left with the charge of her baby brother Hugo when Dad floo'd over to Gran's for a moment or two. He'd expressly told her not to mention that particular responsibly to Mum but it was hers none the less. So to be forced to suffer the indignation of being the only one old enough to know that boogies are yucky to be stuck on the ground was just cruel and unusual.

Rose had a plan though, she would pack everything she would need for a camping trip in the forest. Just like Mum and Dad had taken when they were saving the world AND she would be ten whole years younger when she did it too.

Yes, that would prove to them how grown up she was. With that knowledge planted firmly in her mind she squared her shoulders and left to show them what a grown up she was.

-

After settling into the hallow of a large over-sized tree she took out her cold chicken and a book. Her favorite book in fact. It was a story about Mum, Dad and Uncle Harry. Dad had laughed so hard when an advanced complimentary copy had landed at their breakfast table one morning and Mum had just bristled about how she always came off as such a stick in the mud in those things.

Rose didn't agree though, she thought her mother was simply brilliant in them. They got stories both published and unpublished sent to them all the time about Mum and Dad. There was even a graphic novel series about them _'The Golden Trio'_. Dad had all of those ones, Mum always rolled her eyes and teased him about it, saying they were his favorite only because he liked how the artist drew him as tall and dashing.

The one in her hand those had been her favorite since her dad had first curled her into his lap and read her the inscription. "To those three who saved us all, thank you." It was the first time she connected the names in the stories to the faces she lived with everyday and ever since she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up, she wanted to save the world just like Mum and Dad.

Though how she was expected to do that when they wouldn't even trust her with a real broomstick was simply ridiculous.

-

She woke up later to the sound of voices shouting her name. She rubbed her eyes and closed the book laying in her lap that she'd dozed off reading.

It was Mum, calling out that it was time for dinner and she needed to come in from playing. _Playing_ she huffed. She wasn't playing, she was showing them what a grown up she was by taking care of herself, she had food and a blanket, three books and her stuffed Hello Kneazel. She was just fine thank you very much. No Rose didn't think she'd be coming in for dinner.

-

It was getting dark when the voices sounded out around her again but all she did was burrow deeper into her hollow tree and rested her head on her bunched up blanket.

-

More voices this time, she could see wand light off in the distance. At least a dozen voices shouting out her name. It wasn't until she saw feet through the foliage hiding her tiny alcove in her tree that she began to worry that they'd find her before morning and she wouldn't get a chance to prove she could take care of herself.

It was her parents bickering. They couldn't be too worried it they still found the time to squabble.

"It's not like I can make the spell work any better Ron. It's all of this wand quality wood around us , it's bouncing the spell around, not to mention a dozen other people to pull the spell off course. The locater charm just isn't doing in out here."

"Well we've combed this part of the woods at leave 5 times, lets check the pond again." Her dad's voice was soft and she saw his feet move over to her mums and they stood together for a moment before they moved. "We'll find her Hermione, don't worry. Rose is a smart girl. She'll be fine."

HA, so it was working. Her dad just said how smart she was.

-

It was darker now, and thought it had been a warm day the darkness had brought with it a biting chill. Rose bundled herself up into her blanket, fighting the shivers that didn't seem affected by her bundling in the soft home spun quilt from her Grandma Weasley. She closed her eyes, hoping to just fall asleep and not wake up until morning when she could go home. She just wanted to go home.

-

Pitch blackness enveloped the space around her. She was shaking as the cold air whipped around her. Not long after the whaling wind woke Rose from her fitful sleep the rain started and she buried herself into her tree further but she wasn't the only one interested in getting out of the rain. As the rain pounded down heavily around her a pair of owls swooped into her tree hallow and began pecking her impatiently insisting on her vacating the sanctuary. Rose tried to shoo them away but in the end the bird wosn and she was forced to abandon her possessions and safe haven from the rain to the barn owls.

She tripped on a large over sized root sticking out of the ground as she stumbled around in the darkness aimlessly, catching herself roughly with her hands. A stinging pain shot up from her left hand where it connected with sharp rocks.

Tears stung Rose's eyes as she clutched her hands together in her lap, kneeling in the place she landed. The rain was pouring around her, obscuring her vision. She hated crying. It was completely ridiculous and didn't serve a single purpose. Plus Freddie and Roxy used to refuse to play with her because she would go crying to Mum every time they pulled pranks on her. They said if they didn't like the way they played then it was fine with them if she went off with Lily to have a tea party, Lily who was only five. Not to mention she was freakishly strict on how to play tea party. Insisting on following all rules of etiquette. Mix up the tea plate with the saucer and she goes nuts.

No Rose had learned in the harsh reality of being a younger cousin that crying was just pathetic and meant you weren't invited to play Auror's and thieves with the rest of the group. So with that knowledge Rose was glad that it was really just hot rain streaming down her cheeks, tasting like salt as they hit her lips.

She shoulders shook only from the cold not the devastating realization she was alone in the woods in the middle of the night and no one would come looking for her because they already had and she'd hidden so well they weren't coming back.

Rose had no way of knowing how long she knelt there, eyes closed tightly not crying, not letting out heaving sobs of fear. It could have been 5 minutes or hours before she was wrenched out of misery by a loud crashing boom. She looked up at the sky, and within moments saw a bright streak of blue white light race through the weeping sky and illuminate the trees around her for a second followed immediately by another crashing of the heavens.

Her heart gave out, all thoughts of showing her maturity long forgotten. She wanted her Mommy and her Daddy. She wanted to be warm and snuggled between them in their bed fighting over foot space with Hugo just like any other thunderstorm.

A howl rang out in the distance, striking fear even deeper into her soul. She was not alone in this storm. Other things lived in these woods, and while she had always known that it had never felt quite so real before. Thing that only came out at night, creatures who shied away from the human habitations but came out in the protective cover of darkness. As her eyes whipped around in the direction of the harrowing cry another flash of light followed within seconds of the sky ringing out it's terrifying clatter.

It was so fast she couldn't be sure of what she saw, certainly there hadn't really been a four legged silhouette in the distance. Light flashed again, and she let out a scream even before the thunder had a chance to ring out yet another detonation amongst the clouds. There was something off in the stretch of woods direction in front of her. She turned and began to run in the opposite direction, stumbling several times before gaining any ground.

"Dad!" She screamed out in her panic again and again, it didn't matter that he wasn't any where near her, no he was probably back at the house, warm in bed, assuming she'd just come back in the morning. That was irrelevant. She wanted her daddy right now, her daddy who let her sit on his lap by the fire while she read to him from whatever book he'd let her pick from the library. Her daddy who made her hot chocolate when she was sad and who always made her feel safe from anything the world could offer, he wasn't just any daddy, no he was her daddy and if he could save the world then he could save her from anything.

"Dad!" she continued to scream as she ran aimlessly through the woods, tears carelessly caressing her freckled cheeks, desperate to put as much distance between herself and whatever else was letting out those terrifying blood curdling howls.

Another bolt of light streaked across the dark forest sky, causing Rose to stop dead in tracks. She lost her footing in the sudden change of direction in the slippery mud and landed soundly on her backside. She didn't even notice the resounding noise as it echoed around her she was so preoccupied with rushing backwards. In that flash of light she had seen it, it was just a moment but it had been enough.

She'd been almost family with Teddy Lupin her whole life and that meant knowing a few things about things. The elongated snout the tufted tail, not the mention the full round orb illuminating the sky earlier that night.

Another crash followed by another boom. Then another and another, her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest, she wanted to go home. She didn't care if it meant not having a broom for two more months or having to play with Lily while the older kids got to dress up in Dad and Uncle Harry's old work robes and chase each other around the field.

Looking behind her just as another flash of light she saw it again, closer now, and the renewal of fear caused her to loose her footing and once again, this time smacking her head against the trunk of a trees before settling upon the mossy forest floor. Her skull felt like it was on fire and bright flashed of light were popping out in every direction. Was it daybreak already?

Then a crack ripped through the still rain soaked air and a dark figured appeared over her. The tall figured turning it's head around in every direction before looking down and finally settling it's gaze on her. Another flash of light and the sight before her made her heart soar in exaltation.

"Daddy," was all she could muster, but just as she let herself feel safe and happy an angry growling could be heard close by an she cried out "Werewolf!" before widening her eyes and pointing in the snarling beasts direction. A flash of light burst out, much difference from the earth brightening lightening and then she felt warm familiar arms scooping her up.

"It's okay Rosie, I've got you."

-

She was too cold and too warm all at the same time. Her skin burned, the surface too hot for comfort. But her insides were chilled still, frozen solid from hours spent shivering out in the storm. She felt soft hands rubbing vigorously against her legs and her mothers distance voice begging her to warm up. A goblet was placed against her lips and a peppery flavor engulfed her chattering teeth. Blech, it was horrible but she felt it's warming effects as it drained down her throat.

Later Rose would only be able to remember bits and pieces in a swirl of unconnected images. Her mothers tear stained face kissing her with welcoming warmth along her cheeks. Her parents voices going back and forth about what she would later learn was called a deluminator. Feeling humiliated about all the fuss that had gone into finding her. Being too afraid to admit she'd heard them calling for her but had chose not to listen.

But above all else she felt loved. Her parents had searched and worried and panicked at her absence. When their dog fluffy, a rather cliché name in her opinion but her father had found it intensely funny, when little Fluffy had gone missing they'd put up flyer's and called the local muggle authorities that collects dogs but that was it. They were relieved when she'd shown up a week later they were pleased but nothing like this. She was hugged kissed and threatened within an inch of her life if she ever did anything like that again so many times that night she couldn't help but look back on it as love.

The storm on the other hand, was another matter entirely. The mere threat of an approaching storm set Rose on edge. The fear crawled back into her chest and gripped her pounding heart tightly in it's squeezing hand. Fear and panic engulfed her with every brilliant flash of light and every sky shaking crash. In those moments all she wanted to do was curl up in her daddy's arms and listen to him tell her story's about Babbity Rabbity. With her dad she was safe. Within his warm encircling arms, she was loved.


End file.
